{{short description|American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Larry Belcher | honorific_suffix = | image = File:Rep. Larry Belcher.jpg | state_house = Kentucky | district = 49th | term_start = January 1, 2007 | term_end = October 6, 2008 | preceded = Mary C. Harper | succeeded = Linda H. Belcher | term_start2 = January 1, 1999 | term_end2 = January 1, 2003 | preceded2 = Allen Maricle | succeeded2 = Mary C. Harper | birth_name = Larry Lee Belcher | birth_date = {{Birth date|1947|4|4}} | birth_place = Campbellsville, Kentucky, U.S.<ref name="Biography Vote Smart">{{cite web|title=Larry Belcher's Biography|url=http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/18833/larry-belcher#.VvbmLvkrKM8|website=Vote Smart|accessdate=March 26, 2016}}</ref> | death_date = {{Death date and age|2008|10|6|1947|4|4}} | death_place = Edmonson County, Kentucky, U.S. | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | party = Democratic | spouse = Linda Belcher | relations = {{ublist|Cecil Belcher (father)|Margaret Belcher (mother)| Ron Belcher (brother)| Dennis Belcher (brother)}} | children = {{ublist|Jennifer Belcher| Jeremy Belcher<ref name="Biography Vote Smart" />}} | education = Eastern Kentucky University (BS)<br>University of Louisville (MS) | occupation = Educator | signature = | website = | footnotes = }}
'''Larry Lee Belcher''' (April 4, 1947 – October 6, 2008) was an American educator, county zoning administrator, and Democratic member of the Kentucky House of Representatives. He represented Kentucky's 49th House district, which includes parts of Bullitt County. Belcher was killed in a car accident in 2008. His wife Linda, a former elementary school principal, replaced Belcher on the 2008 ballot. She was subsequently elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 2008 and was reelected in 2010. She lost in 2012, won again in 2014, lost in 2016, and won a special election to return to the legislature in February 2018.<ref name="WDRB">WDRB. [http://www.wdrb.com/story/9140121/state-representative-larry-belcher-killed-in-car-crash "State Representative Larry Belcher Killed in Car Crash"]. Retrieved on November 2, 2015.</ref><ref name="seat">{{cite news |title=Wife of Ky. State Rep. Dan Johnson wants to replace him in the legislature |publisher=WDRB-TV |date=December 14, 2017 |url=http://www.wdrb.com/story/37069117/wife-of-ky-state-rep-dan-johnson-wants-to-replace-him-in-the-legislature |access-date=December 14, 2017}}</ref><ref>[http://kycir.org/2017/12/28/bullitt-county-gop-picks-rebecca-johnson-to-run-for-house-seat/ Bullitt county GOP picks Rebecca Johnson to run for house seat], ''KyCIR'', Jacob Ryan, December 28, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2017.</ref><ref>[http://wkms.org/post/candidates-certified-49th-dist-special-election-following-lawmaker-s-suicide Candidates Certified for 49th Dist. Special Election Following Lawmaker's Suicide], ''WKMS'', Nicole Erwin, January 2, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2018.</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/21/587509178/kentucky-democrat-wins-special-election-to-reclaim-seat-after-lawmakers-suicide|title=Kentucky Democrat Wins Special Election To Reclaim Seat After Lawmaker's Suicide|work=NPR.org|access-date=February 21, 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref>[http://www.kentuckynewera.com/news/ap/article_9b6dd2fe-7770-52f2-9d10-201a5eaa6e3d.html Wife of lawmaker who killed himself loses election bid], ''Kentucky New Era'', Adam Beam (AP), February 21, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2018.</ref>
==Early life== Belcher was born in Campbellsville, Kentucky on April 4, 1947.<ref name="Biography Vote Smart" /> His parents were Cecil Lee Belcher and Margaret Lucille Girtley. In the 1960s, Belcher was receiving his bachelor's degree from Eastern Kentucky University and his master's degree from University of Louisville.<ref name="Family of Larry Belcher">{{cite news|last1=Harvey|first1=Scott|title=Family of Larry Belcher Talks About the Man They Knew|url=http://www.wave3.com/story/9142600/family-of-larry-belcher-talks-about-the-man-they-knew|accessdate=March 26, 2016|publisher=Wave 3 News|date=October 7, 2008}}</ref> In 1970, he was beginning his career as a teacher in Bullitt County. He was also a coach in softball and gymnastics.<ref name="Family of Larry Belcher" />
==Career== Belcher spent most of his career as a teacher and coach before becoming an administrator. He served as principal of Lebanon Junction Elementary School in Bullitt County.<ref name="WDRB" /> He also became principal of Roby and Nichols Elementary School in the Bullitt County School District.<ref name="Election 98">{{cite news |last1=Zambroski |first1=James |title=Maricle Faces Stiff Challenge in 49th District: School Veteran Larry Belcher is Well-Known |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/110878645/ |accessdate=October 5, 2020 |publisher=Courier-Journal {{subscription required|via=Newspapers.com}} |date=September 23, 1998}}</ref> Subsequently, Belcher served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1999 to 2001. In 2002, he unsuccessfully ran against Gary Tapp for the 20th Senate district. In 2005, he was appointed administrator of the Bullitt County Planning and Zoning Commission.<ref name="Family of Larry Belcher" /> He returned to the House in 2006 and ran for reelection in 2008.<ref name="WDRB" />
During his run for political office in 1998, Belcher was serving as the director of buildings and ground maintenance for the Bullitt County School District.<ref name="Election 98" /> That same year, Belcher defeated Joe Walls 4,332 to 2,039 in the Democratic primary for Kentucky House district 49.<ref name="Election 98" /> Shortly after he was taking office in February 1999, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet allotted $700,000 for the repair of roads in Bullitt County.<ref name="Zambroski">{{cite news |last1=Zambroski |first1=James |title=Roads Set for $900,000 in Repairs This Year: Rep. Belcher Snags an Extra $200,000 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/110464045/ |accessdate=October 5, 2020 |publisher=The Courier-Journal {{subscription required|via=Newspapers.com}} |date=February 24, 1999}}</ref> According to the Courier-Journal, Belcher secured an additional $200,000 at the last minute for the maintenance and resurfacing of 13.6 miles of road.<ref name="Zambroski" />
==Election results== ===Kentucky House of Representatives=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Date !! Election !! Candidate !! Party !! Votes !! % |- ! colspan="7" | Kentucky House of Representatives, 49th district |- ! rowspan="2" | November 3, 1998<ref>{{cite web|title=Kentucky General Election, November 3, 1998|url=https://elect.ky.gov/SiteCollectionDocuments/Election%20Results/1990-1999/1998/98Gen_statereprev1.txt|website=Commonwealth of Kentucky State Board of Elections|accessdate=February 21, 2018}}</ref> | rowspan="2" align="center" | General | '''Larry Belcher''' | {{party shading/Democratic}} | '''Democratic''' | align="right" | '''5,983''' | align="right" | '''55.01''' |- | Allen Maricle | {{party shading/Republican}} | Republican | align="right" | 4,893 | align="right" | 44.99 |- ! rowspan="2" | November 7, 2000 | rowspan="2" align="center" | General | '''Russell Webber''' | {{party shading/Republican}} | '''Republican''' | align="right" | '''8,839''' | align="right" | '''54.12''' |- | Larry Belcher | {{party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic | align="right" | 7,492 | align="right" | 45.88 |- ! rowspan="2" | November 2, 2004 | rowspan="2" align="center" | General | '''Mary Harper''' | {{party shading/Republican}} | '''Republican''' | align="right" | '''8,222''' | align="right" | '''44.07''' |- | Larry Belcher | {{party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic | align="right" | 10,434 | align="right" | 55.93 |- ! rowspan="2" | November 7, 2006 | rowspan="2" align="center" | General | '''Larry Belcher''' | {{party shading/Democratic}} | '''Democratic''' | align="right" | '''4,903''' | align="right" | '''53.33''' |- | Mary Harper | {{party shading/Republican}} | Republican | align="right" | 4,291 | align="right" | 46.67 |}
===Kentucky Senate=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Date !! Election !! Candidate !! Party !! Votes !! % |- ! colspan="7" | Kentucky Senate, 20th district |- ! rowspan="2" | November 5, 2002 | rowspan="2" align="center" | General | '''Gary Tapp''' | {{party shading/Republican}} | '''Republican Party''' | align="right" | '''17,204''' | align="right" | '''56.46''' |- | Larry Belcher | {{party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic Party | align="right" | 13,266 | align="right" | 43.54 |}
==Death== On October 6, 2008, Belcher was killed in a traffic accident in Edmonson County, Kentucky when his pickup truck ran into the back of a stopped tractor-trailer truck on Interstate 65.<ref>Dave Newton. [http://www.kftc.org/blog/state-rep-larry-belcher-killed-i-65-accident "State Rep. Larry Belcher Killed in I-65 Accident"]. Kentuckians for the Commonwealth. October 6, 2008. Retrieved on November 2, 2015.</ref> The medical cause of the accident was never determined.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}
==Legacy== On January 10, 2018, Kentucky House Resolution 59 was introduced by Representatives Steve Riggs and Joni Jenkins urging the owners of KentuckyOne Health to rename the Medical Center South Jewish Hospital in Shepherdsville in honor of Belcher and his wife Linda, for their contributions to Bullitt County.<ref>{{cite web|title=HR59|url=https://trackbill.com/bill/kentucky-house-resolution-59-urge-the-owners-of-kentuckyone-health-and-the-medical-center-jewish-south-hospital-in-shepherdsville-to-ceremoniously-recognize-the-contributions-of-ms-linda-and-mr-larry-belcher-by-renaming-the-hospital-in-their-honor/1515085/|website=Kentucky House Resolution 59|accessdate=October 3, 2020}}</ref> Subsequently, the University of Louisville Health-Medical Center South elected to rename its boardroom the Larry Belcher Meeting Room. As of 2020, the Larry Belcher Meeting Room is the location of the Fox Chase City Council town hall meetings.<ref>Stephen Thomas. [https://www.pioneernews.net/content/fox-chase-town-meeting-71 "Fox Chase Town Meeting, January 2020"]. Pioneer News. Retrieved on October 4, 2020.</ref><ref>Stephen Thomas. [https://www.pioneernews.net/content/fox-chase-town-meeting-77 "Fox Chase Town Meeting, September 2020"]. Pioneer News. Retrieved on October 4, 2020.</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == *[https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/18RS/hr59/orig_bill.pdf Commendations and Recommendations: Larry Belcher] *[http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=18833 Larry Belcher] at Project Vote Smart
{{DEFAULTSORT:Belcher, Larry}} Category:1947 births Category:2008 deaths Category:Democratic Party members of the Kentucky House of Representatives Category:21st-century members of the Kentucky General Assembly Category:People from Bullitt County, Kentucky Category:People from Taylor County, Kentucky Category:Eastern Kentucky University alumni Category:University of Louisville alumni Category:Educators from Kentucky Category:Road incident deaths in Kentucky Category:20th-century members of the Kentucky General Assembly